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There’s no place in the world quite like Glasgow (The friendly City)

The conventional concept of Glasgow is that of shipyards, docklands, football and the greatly over publicised slums of the Gorbals (which received notoriety from novels). Glasgow is, in fact, a fine, old and diverse city – if the right places are presented to the visitor. The surviving city centre is now mainly a creation of 19th century architecture. As a Victorian city Glasgow is the best remaining example in Britain (bearing in mind that it was the second city to London, and the second city of the British Empire).

We cannot vaunt a citadel or brag about an acropolis – but we can offer you three cathedrals and three universities – the oldest cathedral dating back to the 13th century and is the only complete medieval building in Scotland.

Our city derives a lot of its character from the unique grid plan – the tall Edwardian commercial building line; the regularly spaced streets. To the west of the city centre sharp gradients provide vistas of magnificence – especially those those Kelvingrove and the Art Galleries.

Daniel Defoe is said to have stated of glasgow: “One of the cleanest,’beautifullest’, best built little cities” he had ever seen. (Although it was then a mere nutmeg of 15,000 populace.)

The wealth created by the Tobacco Lords of the 18th century was not all misused (Glasgow then imported half of the tobacco which came into Britain). It was their prosperity that gave other of the cities entrepreneurs (shipbuilders, industrialists and tradesmen) a chance to make Glasgow famous. Between 1800 and 1900 were Glasgow’s great years – painting architecture and all the arts flourished. There are many of Charles Rennie Macintosh and ‘Greek’ Thompson masterpieces of architecture still to be seen (thanks toe the skilled craftsmen of the day).

During the depression of the thirties the city began to decay. Then in 1956 one writer warned of “influences abroad that could destroy our dear place”. He was right. The old Gorbals was razed and in its place were raised the multi-story flats. Ring roads ripped the city and motorways were built. (Although these happenings were not confined to one city.)

Now that period is, presumably, over and Glasgow has recovered its pride. The taxi association hope to revive public interest in their famous and friendly city. They have taken what they believe to be the most interesting and historic parts and formed a tour which visitors will enjoy and offer it to them in the form of a fixed route, fixed price journey.